Daughters
Chapter Eleven: Better Days
Monday morning dawned warm and sunny. Birds twittered in the trees outside the windows and clouds lolled lazily across the sky as if suspended by wavering string. The bright orb in the sky filtered through the dirtied glass and bathed the students lucky enough to be sitting near the window.
Students murmured to one another as their teacher prepared for the class, locating a piece of chalk in its designated place.
Cheek cushioned in the palm of his hand, Inuyasha watched the world outside lazily, his chance for freedom blocked by the layer of glass in the window. He watched the world outside through the glass, longing for the period to end but knowing that it wouldn't for a long time.
"Now, in preparation for your upcoming summer vacation," Mr. Kimoto explained as he began writing on the chalkboard, "I've compiled a list of readings you'll need completed by the beginning of second semester."
As he spoke, the Japanese literature teacher wrote out the said books on the green board, his handwriting crisp and pristine. Inuyasha stared out the window idly, watching the bright sun in the sky. It felt like summer now. It hadn't rained in days, and the sun was always out. He was looking forward to the nice, long break.
Briefly, he realized that the girl two rows across from him, blocking him from the window, was smiling brightly at him. It took him a moment to realize that the girl believed him to be staring at her, not out the window.
She giggled uneasily as his eyebrows furrowed and he turned his attention away. Just what he needed. Ever since Rin made her infamous appearance in the classroom (his apartment was close to the school, after all) the girls had been all atwitter with happiness. It was all the rage in the class to like Inuyasha, who, in their opinion was 'a loner who is afraid to show his true self.'
It was frustrating, to say the least. But Miroku seemed to be getting a kick out of it.
"Any questions?" Mr. Kimoto asked as he backed away from the board, revealing a list of two short stories and one book required for the second semester. When no hands rose with questions, the literature teacher nodded. "Okay, then let us continue on with the lesson, shall we?"
"Just the end of this week," Miroku spoke, poking Inuyasha in the back and leaning over his left shoulder. He grinned cheekily at his friend, who replied with only a raised eyebrow. "Then we're free until second semester."
"Yep," Inuyasha agreed, his voice just above a whisper.
He glanced over to his right and watched Kagome taking notes on whatever the teacher was teaching. They hadn't talked since their fiasco in the closet. The janitor had found them locked there, scolded them for skipping class, and shooed them along their merry way. When both showed up late to PE, there were rumors floating between their classmates, but no one came up to him. Kagome, on the other hand, was constantly being bombarded by her female classmates, wishing to dig out the details from their supposed 'secret rendezvous'.
"Got any plans?"
"Watch Rin the entire break?" Inuyasha asked offhandedly, shrugging his shoulders when Miroku tugged on his ear. "Ow, hey. Watch it."
After the bell rang, signaling the end of first period, Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief. Art was next, and that was the easiest class in the world. Mrs. Hiko rarely checked their 'assignments' and just had them draw and paint during the period. It was relaxing, even if Inuyasha couldn't paint his way out of a paper bag.
Miroku groaned and pushed his forehead against Inuyasha's back.
Inuyasha did not find this amusing. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," was Miroku's sassy reply.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, not finding the heart to shove the boy away. He was just too lazy to do much of anything, really. If the boy wanted to lean up against his back in a rather flamboyant expression of their friendship, then so be it. Maybe it would make the girls go away? Miroku draped his arms over Inuyasha's shoulders.
"Okay, that's enough," Inuyasha hissed, eyeing the hands gripping his shirt sleeves. "Cut it out."
"Shinkanshi-Kun?" a weak voice questioned. Inuyasha swiveled his head around and gave his female classmate a rather disbelieving look. He didn't talk to girls, except for Kagome and Rin, so seeing another girl standing before him was very strange.
Miroku's arm disappeared from his view and the weight of Miroku being draped over his body vanished as well, replaced with an awe-struck expression from his said friend. Miroku stared at the girl before shaking his head and offering the girl a large smile.
"Hino-San, what brings you over here?" Miroku asked smoothly, his smile widening.
The girl eyed him for a moment before giving him a tentative smile. She cleared her throat and returned her attention to Inuyasha, who continued to stare at her, completely baffled.
"Um…"
"What?" Inuyasha snapped out before he could stop himself. The girl looked surprised at his sudden, harsh reply and fumbled over her words.
"Sorry," she squeaked and cleared her throat. "But I… I heard that… that today is your birthday."
Inuyasha stared at her in shock. How could she have possibly known that? He didn't tell anyone personal information about himself, and certainly not little girls who didn't bother noticing him until he was 'transformed' into a loving and caring 'father'. No one listened when he said he wasn't loving or caring.
"How did you learn that?" Inuyasha growled.
"The school registry… it has everyone's birthdays listed," the girl said, gulping down a large lump in her throat. Her hands began to shake, rattling the small bag in her hands.
"Why would you care if it's my birthday?" Inuyasha asked skeptically.
The girl looked increasingly uncomfortable and shoved the bag into his hands. "Sorry!" she squeaked out again, turning to retreat to her desk on the other side. "I won't bother you again!"
Inuyasha watched her go doubtfully. He watched as she returned to her spot where she was quickly bombarded by her friends. The girls giggled and shot looks over at Inuyasha before turning back to the now grinning birthday-giver-girl.
"Dude, it's your birthday?" Miroku gasped out, his eyes wide. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't tell anyone," Inuyasha frowned. He stared at the bag the girl had given him.
"So, how old are you, anyway? Eighteen?"
"No, I was eighteen until seven this morning. I'm nineteen," Inuyasha said with pursed lips. He shoved the bag away and stared at the clock, wishing the bell would ring.
"What?" Miroku seemed shocked at his friend's true age. And he thought he was the older of the two boys. "Shouldn't you have already graduated, then?"
"No," Inuyasha said slowly, feeling a pounding behind his temples and eyes. A headache was coming. He hated headaches. "I was held back a year in elementary school. I wasn't smart enough, or some bullshit like that. So, I should be graduated and in college by now, but I'm not. So sue me."
"Oh, okay then," Miroku said with a shrug, plucking the bag from Inuyasha's table and inspecting what the girl had given him. He extracted a candle. "Oh, how thoughtful."
"You want it? Because I don't," Inuyasha muttered, eyeing the girls in the corner who stared at him with hawk eyes.
Miroku smiled and sniffed the candle. "Oh, it's vanilla, how nice." He nodded his head, put the candle back in the bag and tucked it into his desk. "Sure, thanks."
"Don't mention it," Inuyasha muttered as the bell rang.
'Having PE third period is the worst,' Kagome thought miserably, 'Whoever thought putting PE right before lunch was a good idea should go jump in a river.'
Art had breezed by, much to Kagome's sadness, leaving the girls and boys to segregate and move to their respected changing rooms. Kagome personally hated PE because she wasn't very athletic. Today was a running day, and they'd be timing everyone. And right before lunch, too.
Kagome groaned silently and pulled her PE shirt over her head and pulled on her ridiculously small PE shorts.
"Kagome," Ayame sang next to Kagome as she pulled her hair into pigtails and watched Kagome's own hair ascend into a high pony tail. "Did you know that it's Shinkanshi-Kun's birthday?"
"I heard when Ami-Chan gave him her present," Kagome murmured, feeling her face scrunch up. She'd been right there when their classmate approached Inuyasha. She leaned over and tied her shoes, trying her best to ignore Ayame as she gushed about Inuyasha. Wasn't she supposed to be in love with Yamasaki-Kun from class 3-2?
"Did you get him anything?" Ayame questioned as she pulled on her PE shoes. Kagome shook her head. "Why the hell not, Kagome-Chan? If you don't then he's going to think you hate him, or something."
"I know for a fact that Inuyasha would not hate me if I don't give him a present. Most likely he'd resent me if I did get him something. He doesn't like to get attention, and I figure his birthday falls under too-much-attention-category," Kagome said with a tiny sigh. She turned to Sango, who'd remained silent up to that point. "Right?"
"I don't know Shinkanshi-Kun like you do, Kagome-Chan," Sango explained, ever the diplomat and pacifist of the group. "But I know that he doesn't like it when people pay him too much attention. I think it's best if we leave him alone."
"But that's so unromantic!" Ayame whined loudly.
"Not everyone's life is about romance, Ayame," Sango explained. "Just because Kagome works for Inuyasha, and just because they spend time together does not mean they're going to end up together. It's completely out of Inuyasha's character, I think, to want to be with someone."
Kagome sighed sadly, trailing behind her two friends as they left the locker room and headed towards the field where PE would be held that day. Her mind was heavy with thoughts and the bright sunlight made her squint as she followed after her friends.
Fifteen minutes later, the boys were lined up for their running course and the girls sat in the grass, watching and waiting for their own turn. Kagome huddled close to Sango and Ayame, watching the boys as they stretched and prepared for the start of their timing.
The first group of eight boys lined up in their respected lanes and awaited the teacher's signal. The six boys left over sat in the grass on the other side of the track and stretched out on the ground, pulling their toes towards their body to stretch out their hamstrings.
The group of sixteen girls squealed as the bell sounded and the group of boys raced out along their lane, racing against one another. The four hundred meter track stretched on before the boys rounded the corner and it was impossible to tell who was winning until they reached the next straight-away.
"Oh, look at Shinkanshi-Kun!" one girl whispered to her friend on Kagome's left. "I had no idea he was so fast!"
Sure enough, Inuyasha was well near the front, followed closely by Miroku, who only fell behind because he paused for just a second to wave at Sango. Kagome watched Inuyasha run and felt her back stiffen as the girls around her continually commented on the boys' appearances, but never their performances.
The boys reached the end of their four hundred meter run and slowed down to a stop, panting, their chests heaving. They tumbled off the track and the next group went on, followed by the squeals and coos of the girls as they observed their favorite male classmates racing one another.
Kagome rested her chin between the dip her two legs formed at the knees. She wrapped her arms around her shins, pulling them close and staring at the grassy ground idly.
After the first event was completed, the boys continued on, running eight hundred meters, a mile, one hundred meters, and finally hurtles. The entire time the girls continued to admire the boys, even after it was the girls' turn to run.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid,' Kagome muttered to herself as she leapt over a hurtle—her final event. Her stomach screamed in protest, almost as loudly as the girls called out to the boys. Was everyone in her class insane? Even Ayame was sending looks Inuyasha's way. 'This entire day has been stupid!'
She felt her face burn a bright red as she came to a stop at the finish line, finishing third out of her group of girls. Her blue eyes darted to Inuyasha, peeking through her black bangs. He wasn't looking at her—instead, he was talking with Miroku and pointedly ignoring the girls who hovered a short distance away.
What was wrong with teenagers?
Seriously.
Inuyasha glanced at his watch as he exited the school and walked across the courtyard, heading towards the school gates. "I'll be a little late today."
"Inuyasha!" a voice called behind him. Inuyasha paused in his step and groaned inwardly. Was another girl coming to wish him a happy birthday? He was ready to strangle the next female who dared come near him. Every period they were slinking up to him and wishing him a happy birthday. Didn't they know that he wasn't interested for God's sake?
He looked over his shoulder and stopped in his track as he saw Kagome approaching him, her cheeks flushed with her effort to catch up with him. Her bright yellow backpack slapped against her back and she panted as she reached up to him.
"What do you want, Kagome?" Inuyasha muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets and observing her with a critical eye.
"I just… wanted to know," she breathed deeply. "What time I need to come over tonight to watch Rin-Chan?"
Inuyasha frowned, wondering why it was he felt a small jab in his stomach. What was that?
He ran fingers through his unruly bangs and shrugged his shoulders. "Uh… Whenever you can, I suppose?"
Kagome gave him a thoughtful look, her lips quirked downwards. Blue eyes studied him and he jerked his head away, hating it when she looked at him with such deep blue eyes.
"Soon?" Inuyasha questioned.
"Okay." Kagome smiled, her blue eyes softening. "I'll see you then."
Inuyasha nodded his head and turned to leave, readjusting the straps of his book bag before retreating towards the school gate. He could feel Kagome's gaze on his back but didn't turn around to look at her.
"Inuyasha, wait," Kagome called and Inuyasha paused again.
"What is—?"
"Here," Kagome said behind him and he turned around to face her. She offered him a lemon tea she'd bought after school to give to him. "I thought that maybe you'd like this," Kagome said gently, offering him a smile. He plucked it from her hand and stared at it like it was the elixir of life. "You're welcome."
He stared at it a moment longer before pulling the tab and opening it. Taking a long sip, he released a tiny sigh and wiped his mouth.
For a brief moment Kagome could have sworn she saw a shadow of a smile on his face, but she wasn't sure. She smiled brightly at him and watched as he walked ahead of her. She trailed behind him, watching the way the wind ruffled his uniform. She gripped her hands together and felt her smile widen.
They reached the gate and Inuyasha turned towards the direction of Rin's kindergarten. From their position, Kagome could see Inuyasha's apartment building not far from the school. He lived so close but it took him such a long time to get home because of Rin's school.
"Oh," Inuyasha snapped his fingers and dug around his pockets before extracting his house key. "Here," he said and offered her the small golden key. "You can head over to my house. If you can, make some food, Rin will be hungry."
"Sure," Kagome said lightly. Any excuse not to go to her home.
He nodded again and headed in the opposite direction, the wind ruffling his uniform and his short, black hair. He took another sip of his lemon tea and Kagome watched him go, her eyes never leaving him until he turned a corner and disappeared from her view.
"Happy birthday, Inuyasha," Kagome murmured before turning on her heel and heading towards his apartment.
"Inu-oniichan," Rin's voice filtered into Inuyasha's ear later that night. He blinked groggily and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He observed Rin for a long moment before tugging on his black hair, as if to make sure she hadn't removed any of it like last time.
"What?" Inuyasha questioned, his voice throaty and scratchy. He swallowed, trying to banish the strange sensation of a titillated mouth.
"Kagome-Chan told me it was your birthday," Rin murmured, she grasped his shirt sleeve and tugged. "Happy birthday."
"Why are you telling me this now?" Inuyasha breathed, a large whoosh of air retreating from his lungs as he flopped down onto his bed.
"Kagome-Chan told me you didn't like all the attention you got today because of your birthday," Rin explained quietly, her voice squeaking. "And she told me that you might get angry if I wish you a happy birthday right away. So I waited."
Inuyasha grunted, stuffing his head underneath his pillow.
"Okay," Inuyasha sighed defeated, staring at his white sheets. "I'm not angry."
"Good," Rin chirped and felt her face widen into a large smile.
"Wooo!" Miroku declared loudly as the bell signaling the end of class rang. He launched from his seat, hands waving in the air. "Summer vacation! Finally!"
Mr. Yuuki stared at Miroku incredulously from his English textbook, his eyes narrowed angrily as he stared at the disruption created by the boy.
"Finally!" Miroku said again, grinning ear to ear.
"Endo, if you would be so kind as to wait until I've dismissed you before expressing your happiness for the end of school, I'd like to assign you your homework," the English teacher spoke in fluent English, though still with the Osaka accent of his youth.
Miroku paused in his hurray-for-summer dance at the sound of his teacher's request and the giggles of nearby girls. His grin still in place, Miroku sunk back down into his seat and cheerfully said an apology in English.
After the homework was assigned and the students were dismissed from their class, it was pure pandemonium. Students launched from their classrooms, trying to leave the school as quickly as possible so they could enjoy their weeks of vacation and downtime.
Inuyasha was among them, though just so he could go and pick up Rin earlier.
Rin smiled happily as she saw her cousin appear in the school's courtyard. She beamed and toddled over to him, weaving between parents and their children.
"Lookth," Rin whistled, her words with a strange slur. She produced a small, white chunk in her hand and showed it proudly to Inuyasha. "Ith losth a foof."
Sure enough, Rin's beam revealed her front tooth missing and, instead, resting alone in her hand. Inuyasha regarded it for a moment before placing his hand on top of her head and ruffling her hair. When she giggled, he quickly removed his hand and produced a small 'keh'.
"Ith bif into ath athle," Rin clarified. It took Inuyasha a moment to realize that Rin ate an apple that pulled her loose tooth out. Oh.
"Good for you," Inuyasha said and shrugged his shoulders. "Let's get home." He placed a hand on her back and guided her towards the exit. "We don't want to lose it or else the tooth fairy won't come."
Rin's eyes sparkled.
Author's notes: Sorry this chapter was kind of lame. It was a transition into the next chapters. This story is winding down. Thank God.